Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) agreed a new version of their HWRC Strategy at a cabinet meeting in December after a very robust response from residents to the waste consultation. The good news is that Stanford HWRC remains open, but all sites will have reduced opening hours from 2017. You can read the full 33 page document on the OCC website – the link is below, but a very brief unofficial summary is:

A new strategy has been proposed which uses a more phased approach, with the first priority being the Redbridge site.

All sites will currently remain open.

A new contract will start from 2017 – opening hours will be reduced at all sites.

Options appraisal for Central and South Oxfordshire will be completed in financial year 18/19, with work on solution beginning the next year and completing the following (FY 20/21)

Wantage and Didcot are mentioned as growth areas and Drayton is accepted as being over capacity and without the possibility to extend.

Stanford planning permission runs out in 2019 and extension would only be possible by moving the site onto the landfill area.

Additional budget has been identified for 2015/16 and 2016/17.

2 new partnership possibilities are under discussion.

OCC will lobby the government to allow charging for use of HWRC.

The new strategy proposes

Fewer larger sites, close to centres of population.

Reduced opening hours in preference to fewer sites.

Sites designed to maximise re-use and recycling.Partnership working with district council and local communities to investigate alternative approaches.